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Re: Why can't info providers work better with MetaStock?



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Daniel,
That is correct. Furthermore, you will not need the Equis Downloader
to read the ASCII data. We provide a program that scans your disk
for Metastock directories and then updates them directlry (with all the
history that will be in your StockWiz database). Those programs are built
using the Metastock File Format library which we license from Equis.
In other words, once you have all the data in a StockWiz database you
can select companies to export directly to Metastock directories or
to update all existing Metastock directories. For more details on this
visit http://www.stockwiz.com/daily.html and
http://www.stockwiz.com/updatem.html.

--Steve



At 03:15 AM 7/8/97 -0400, DanMartinz@xxxxxxx wrote:
><<  The people at Equis do have in a way of importing split factors from
> a text file but they do not make it available to third party developers.
> Just look for the <SPLIT> file header in their documentation. It is listed
> as a header but it is not explained. When I asked their technical support
> for an explanation they told me that it is for use by Metastock only.     >>
>
>
>Steve,
>thank you for your response.  If I were to use your service to maintain my
>MetaStock database in the older 256 file/directory format (Investor's
>Reference Library),  it would not be Equis's responsibility to adjust for
>stock splits or ticker name changes.  While maintaining a 5 year price
>history of all US Stocks, I estimate there would be no more than 20 changes
>per day.  Because the IRL uses the older MetaStock format, it is technically
>possible for the smaller vendors to make these changes.
>
>All you need to do is create, on a daily basis, one large ZIP'd ASCII file
>containing all of the US Stocks and another small file containing the changes
>to be made.  Before using the Equis Downloader to incorporate the new data
>into my database, a small program written by your company would use the small
>file to make these daily changes.
>
>Daniel.
>
>
>In a message dated 97-07-06 14:03:46 EDT, isoft@xxxxxxxxxx (i-Soft, Inc.)
>writes:
>
><< Re: Why can't info providers work better with MetaStock?
> Date:	97-07-06 14:03:46 EDT
> From:	isoft@xxxxxxxxxx (i-Soft, Inc.)
> To:	DanMartinz@xxxxxxx, metastock-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> CC:	support@xxxxxxxxx, gary@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, help@xxxxxxxxxxxx,
>scotts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> Dan,
> 
> We at StockWiz (http://www.stockwiz.com) have taken a slightly different
> approach. We ask that you maintain a StockWiz database on your PC. This
> database will typically contain daily prices for about 10,000 US companies.
> Then we provide a set of free programs that scan your disk for all Metastock
> directories and create a batch file that in one step everyday it will
> update all of your Metastock directories. By updating the split factors
> within the StockWiz database you do not need to worry about that in the
> Metastock files. 
> 
> Since StockWiz (without the data) is also free to download from our web
> site you can use it with data from other vendors. Just place your
> data in a text file with records of the format
> TICKER,YYYYMMDD,OPEN,HIGH,LOW,CLOSE,VOLUME. In other words the dates
> must be in the format of 19970131. The compression will also be
> better if the Volume is expressed in 100s. I have tried this with
> the daily files from Quote.Com and it worked just fine. You will
> though need to write a little utility to reformat the data.
> 
> The people at Equis do have in a way of importing split factors from
> a text file but they do not make it available to third party developers.
> Just look for the <SPLIT> file header in their documentation. It is listed
> as a header but it is not explained. When I asked their technical support
> for an explanation they told me that it is for use by Metastock only.
> 
> --Steve
> 
> At 09:44 PM 7/3/97 -0400, DanMartinz@xxxxxxx wrote:
> >John,
> >if a user installs the full Investor's Reference Library on his drive,  a
> >third party vendor should be able maintain this database with little or no
> >manual changes to stock splits or ticker changes.  Because the IRL uses the
> >older 256 files/directory format, the smaller data vendors should be able
>to
> >write a small update program to automatically change MetaStock files for
> >stock splits and ticker name changes.  Since many data vendors are already
> >writing their own mini-technical analysis programs, they should be able to
>do
> >this one simple task.  I am not asking for a lot here and this would not a
> >complicated program.
> >
> >Daniel.
> >
> >
> >In a message dated 97-07-02 14:53:50 EDT, John Manasco writes:
> >
> ><< Dan
> > 
> > Regarding stock splits: Metastock has no way of knowing about a stock
> > split the Downloader doesn't see so if you're not using the Downloader
> > to directly collect prices you're going to have to do the adjustments
> > yourself. The information on adjustments is sent by the data provider to
> > the Downloader.
> > 
> > Maintaining a second database and the inconvenience of doing manual
> > adjustments seem to be the price you pay for not using one of the built
> > in data providers. I use Telescan and get equities, indices, and mutual
> > funds for $29.95 per month. Plus I only have one database to maintain
> > and the stocks adjustments are done automatically. Do you really think
> > the savings are worth it? Maybe so.
> > 
> > John
> > 
> > 
> > DanMartinz@xxxxxxx wrote:
> > > 
> > > I will be buying the Investor's Reference Library CD-ROM stock price
> >database
> > > which uses the old 256 files per directory format.  It has 5 years of
> >data.
> > >  The new MetaStock v6 directory format is not an issue here.
> > > 
> > > I have MetaStock v6.  Every single information provider on the Net makes
> >you
> > > maintain their database IN ADDITION TO METASTOCK'S.  I have a 1.6 GB
>drive
> > > with Microsoft's DriveSpace 3 compression software.  I thought I had
> >plenty
> > > of room.  Now I find I will barely be able to squeeze all the data I
>want
> > > because of this duplication.  I don't need a second database!  The
>CD-ROM
> >I
> > > get with MetaStock has 5 years of data.  I can get others with even
>more.
> > >  Why would I need a second and smaller 2 mos database maintained daily?
> > > 
> > > Also, many stock price info providers make you MANUALLY go in and change
> > > stock splits and ticker name changes.  If I maintained all US stocks, I
> >would
> > > have to change 15 per day!  Instead of wasting time and effort creating
>a
> > > technical analysis program, stock price info providers should
>concentrate
> >on
> > > information and conversion to other technical analysis program databases
> > > only.  You can now get a cheap TA program for $50.  These TA programs
>are
> > > Windows 95 based and always better than the programs supplied by info
> > > providers.  They specialize in this field.  The only way I can have
> > > everything done automatically is if I use MetaStock's Reuters service.
> > They
> > > want $35/month.  There is no way I am going to pay $35/month for just US
> > > Stocks end-of-day!
> > > 
> > > Why is this so complicated???!!
>  >>
>
>